Ari Moffic Silver

Born and raised six blocks from Wrigley Field, Ari Moffic Silver is a Jewish educator and bar/bat mitzvah tutor with his finger on the pulse of Chicago's Jewish education experience. He is the founder of Star Mitzvah and is currently working on expanding his tutoring business to offer Hebrew and academic tutoring services. He currently resides in Northbrook and has two children, ages 3 and 1, who are the lights of his life.

In his spare time, he likes to watch culinary and comedy shows on TV, volunteer, chant from the Torah, go to Bulls/Hawks/Bears and Cubs games, coach youth sports programs, work out, and of course, spend time with his children and being father, or as he likes to say, "A kid all over again."

Ari remains a foodie at heart and is still a certified mixologist who enjoys frequenting the many restaurants the Chicago area has to offer. Most of all, he loves and embraces his Jewish identity and relishes in the countless moments in life when he can experience living Jewishly and be an inspiration and role model to his children.

Imagine this for a moment. You are the creator of something completely new, special and unique. Your creation is about to come into the universe, and you are given the task of choosing the name. You have some ideas, but the moment to decide is rapidly approaching.

If you’re like me, you probably get a ton of emails and countless mailed letters asking you to donate or to give to an organization. Many of them come around this time of the year, when the holiday spirit and the spirit of giving seem to collide in a frenzy of toys, appliances, gadgets and monetary donations.

This year, as the festively familial holiday known as Thanksgiving comes closer, I know I’ll have a Turkey Day unlike any other I’ve known. I know this because I will be spending it with my baby daughter, Emma.

I love laughter. I love laughing. I love making others laugh as well as watching others make others laugh. To me, there’s nothing better than a good, hearty guffaw when things seem blue, or a side-splitting howl, all doubled up on the floor, completely in stitches.

The Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago is the one organization that impacts every aspect of local and global Jewish life, providing human services for Jews and others in need, creating Jewish experiences and strengthening Jewish community connections.